Many types of aircraft, including transport aircraft, are equipped with wing-mounted turbofan engines. In this configuration, the exhaust flow from the wing-mounted engines may impinge upon the wing surfaces. Some conventional aircraft may utilize the exhaust flow to augment wing lift during low-speed operations, enabling short field take off and landing capabilities for such aircraft.
Although desirable results have been achieved using existing wing-mounted turbofan engines, there is room for improvement. For example, reduced drag will enable aircraft operation from even shorter airfields. In addition, due to the impingement of the high temperature exhaust on the flap and wing surfaces of some aircraft configurations, these surfaces must be designed to withstand extreme thermal loads. Titanium flaps may be required rather than aluminum flaps to withstand the harsh thermal environment. Generally, these design considerations add weight to the aircraft and increase manufacturing costs. Novel systems that mitigate the weight and cost penalties associated with wing-mounted engines would therefore have utility.